Contents

Biography

Background in Russia

Mikhail Faustin was born and raised in 1963 in Russia (then-USSR). He met his "brother for life" Dimitri Rascalov while serving in the Navy during the Cold War as early as 1987, and were later cellmates in a Siberian prison camp. Both he and Dimitri have tattoos on the palms of their hands which represent that they are "brothers for life", according to Mikhail. Also by Mikhail's record, he protected Dimitri from being raped in prison, which he will sometimes remind him of to guilt him into following orders. In 1988, when Mikhail was 25, he had a baby girl named Anna with his future wife Ilyena, who was only 18 at the time. Ilyena reminisces that Mikhail was "beautiful" at this time, before he became possessed by anger. Dimitri also says of Mikhail back then, "he had a temper, but he was fair". After the Cold War ended in 1991, they were both "selling hash to tourists in Red Square" according to Dimitri, and both men had multiple murder convictions.

Criminal enterprise in United States

Mikhail "exploited a loophole in the immigration treaty to gain US residency in the mid 90's", arriving in Hove Beach with Dimitri, Ilyena and Anna, then under 10 years old. He was living in Liberty City and situated into a criminal life by 1998, when he was arrested for extortion. Mikhail built a criminal enterprise based in Hove Beach, made up of several investments - the Perestroika cabaret, protection rackets, cocaine distribution, pornography, stolen goods (which he was arrested for in 2002) and more. This afforded him a lavish lifestyle consisting of a large Beachgate home, two luxury cars (a Turismo and custom black Schafter) and being able to raise his daughter in the upper-class American fashion (she speaks in a perfect American accent and Mikhail says he has "spoil[ed] her rotten").

Mikhail began abusing cocaine and alcohol - likely since 2005, when he was arrested for holding cocaine, as well as Ilyena and Dimitri having grown accustomed to Mikhail's disturbing new personality by 2008. He is abusive of his wife, slightly easier but still extremely harsh of his daughter, and also cheats on his wife (with employee Vladimir Glebov's sister and two women at his cabaret). He refuses to take advice from Dimitri anymore, Dimitri saying he "never know[s] who he will shoot, who he will stab!". Examples of his violent streak include the deaths of Andrei (a member of his gang who Dimitri favored, killed randomly for interrogating Niko too sloppily) and Jason Michaels (a member of the Lost biker gang dating his daughter).

Death

Among other violent, rash moves, Mikhail ordered the death of Lenny Petrovic, son of the most powerful Russian mob boss in Liberty City, Kenny Petrovic, because he frivolously assumes that Lenny has snitched on him. This results in an all-out war before Kenny Petrovic contacts Dimitri about having Mikhail killed to create peace. Dimitri agrees, and they both decide on the condition that the "hired gun" who originally killed Lenny, Niko Bellic, would be the one to kill Mikhail.

Niko is immediately sent to Perestroika to assassinate Mikhail. After a bloody shootout, Niko confronts Mikhail on the roof and shoots him so that he falls to his death. He warns Niko that Dimitri was wrong to betray him, and that he would betray Niko as well (though Niko does not heed his word, this is entirely true).

You can also kill Faustin before you even get to the roof, by throwing a Molotov cocktail or grenade onto the roof Faustin is standing on and having it detonate near Faustin killing him. The mission will end as a completion for Niko, but you don't get to hear Faustin warning about Rascalov.

Trivia

In addition to tattoos visible on both his upper chest and palms, Faustin has scars on both sides of his face.

GTA IV game art of Faustin depict him wearing a black jacket over a red shirt. While he is never seen in game exactly dressed as such, Faustin wears a beige jacket with a white shirt during the opening cutscene of "Final Destination".

Faustin's first name could taken from Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union. He was also the same leader who introduced Economic Reforming, or Perestroika to the SU. Perestroika is the same name of Faustin's Cabaret Club.

Faustin's surname could be taken from Faust, a German scholar, who makes a deal with the Devil by selling his soul for immense knowledge and pleasure. The term "Faustian" is used to describe someone who has abandons one's moral integrity to achieve power and success, much like Faustin himself.

According to Russian criminal hierarchy he can be called "pakhan" (русский: пахан) as he a crime lord who has his own independent family.